The Holy Grail of boxing is to be found deep inside the minds of the blood brotherhood and within that labyrinth the Pacman is defeating the Money Man without them throwing so much as a single punch at each other.
From the rooftops of the Las Vegas casinos in which he treats dollar bills like confetti, Floyd Mayweather Jr screams denial of Manny Pacquiao's claim to be the supreme pound-for-pound fighter in the world today. But in the esteem of the congoscenti he is just whistling into the desert wind.
America's boxing writers have spoken, voting Pacquiao as not only their fighter of the year but their boxer of the decade just ended.
Not only that, but 2009 represents the third time in four years that they have bestowed their Sugar Ray Robinson Trophy upon the Filipino phenomenon who has now won world titles in an unprecedented seven weight divisions.
In direct comparison, Pacquiao obliterated and concussed our own Ricky Hatton while Mayweather took longer to inflict an orthodox stoppage. But clearly the Pacman's willingness to meet the toughest rivals virtually regardless of differential in poundage weighed most heavily on the ballot.
Pacquiao receives his latest awards at a New York dinner in June. By then, on March 13, he will have fought - and by most predictions defeated - Ghana's dangerous world welterweight champion Joshua Clottey in the first boxing event to be staged in the Dallas Cowboys stadium.
Such is Pacquiao's popularity that the venue will be configured for a 50,000 seat sell out. This, in the wake of his stunning 12th round KO of two time world champion Miguel Cotto last autumn which drew such huge crowds to the Strip that it is credited for kick-starting a post-recession recovery of the Las Vegas economy. Then, in May, Pacquiao is expected to win another election, this time for a seat in the Philippine congress.
Mayweather, meanwhile, will confine himself to his hometown Vegas and a May 1 encounter with the veteran Shane Mosley, which would have been one helluva fight had it taken place when the now 38-year-old Sugar Shane was five years younger.
While there is no doubting Mayweather's mastery of the noble arts, this is in keeping with his apparent preference for taking on opponents who are either past their prime or smaller than himself.
Of course, the Pacman and the Money Man should be making an even more massive fortune by fighting each other. That match was made for next month and, naturally, each is blaming the other for its cancellation.
Mayweather called for constant dope testing. Pacquiao, who has no history in that regard, resented the insinuation that he was guilty of malpractice.
The terms of this dispute have been documented exhaustively and will be delved into yet deeper if and when Pacquiao's libel action goes to court.
Only Mayweather can tells us whether it is really the undiminished punching power which the smaller Pacquiao, quite exceptionally, has carried up with him through the weight classes which is preying on his mind.
It does not convince us to the contrary when he keeps carping on about how his next fight will be subject to an Olympic-standard drugs regime. Not when Mosley has tested positive in the past.
But if Mayweather wants to challenge the Boxer of the Decade for the mytholgocial pound-for-pound title, there is only one place he can do so. He will have to meet Pacquiao face-to-face in the ring...and sooner rather than later.
That is the best news from our boxing writing colleagues in the US. By honouring the Pacman they apply moral pressure on the Money Man to meet that date with destiny, perhaps as early as September in what would be the first candidate for Fight of the new Decade.
Wise Warren wants last laugh
A crop of promising young British boxers are ready to fight 'til they drop on Saturday night but one man who wears a suit, not shorts, will be exhausted even as he arrives at Wembley Arena.
Once upon a time the most strenuous demand on a promoter was carrying the takings from the box office to the bank. Not now. Not when it is the fighters who are calling the financial shots. Still less so when the entrepreneur in question is investing in the boys of the future, rather than cashing in on the big names of his immediate past.
For Frank Warren, boxing's opening show of 2010 represents the first arch in his bridge between the defection of Joe Calzaghe, Ricky Hatton and Amir Khan - after he guided them to world titles - and his building of a new decade of young champions.
To get this project started in earnest, Warren has had to work night and day to keep reconstructing
A British heavyweight championship match between the retiring Derek Williams and a barely emergent Sam Sexton was not the usual top-of-the-bill material. When Sexton called in injured, Tyson Fury declined to take up the title challenge and then Williams had an attack of the disappearing vapours, Warren could have been forgiven for pulling the plug.
Instead he kept plugging away, determined to keep open his showcase of promising talent. Derek Chisora versus Carl Baker in a final eliminator for the Lonsdale Belt may not be the stuff of ring fantasy but Del Boy is an unbeaten prospect and The Fridge did defeat Williams in the heavyweight Prizefighter tournament.
More importantly, it keeps the undercard in place. This, after so many postponements in Italy, enables Nathan Cleverly to go ahead at last with his European light-heavyweight title battle against Antonio Brancalion. It should also enable a burgeoning Kevin Mitchell to close in on a world lightweight challenge to Michael Katsidis, as well as keeping firmly on track the professional careers of Warren's stable of Beijing Olympians, including gold medallist James DeGale, Frankie Gavin and Billy Joe Saunders.
This promotion is being billed as The Night Of The Champions. Perhaps it should be entitled The Show Must Go On. If it comes to be remembered as The Night Of The Future Champions, Frank Warren will have the last laugh.
Ricky's tricky comeback
As Ricky Hatton begins preparing for his return for one last hurrah, he has to find not only an opponent with a big enough name to help him fill Manchester City's football ground in early summer but also a new trainer to get him back into shape after his holiday in Australia's lager-land.
Juan Manuel Marquez was envisaged as the marquee attraction but the Mexican legend who recently took Floyd Mayweather Jr the 12-round distance is being enticed away by Oscar De La Hoya's Golden Boy promotions as the May opponent for Amir Khan's American debut.
Now, with Mayweather's father Floyd Sr discarded after the crushing KO by Manny Pacquaio which appeared to end the Manchester Hitman's valiant career, Hatton's long-time back-up trainer Lee Beard has moved to the US. Ring comebacks are notoriously complicated and always hazardous.
THE OCTAGON
Romance is not a word used very often to describe the violent happenings in The Octagon.
But when the most adored legend of the UFC comes back from the Hall of Fame to defeat his oldest foe - in a battle between two veterans with a combined age of 91 years - the emotionial juices flow.
Randy Couture first fought - and lost to - Mark Coleman in Olympic wrestling in 1989.
On Saturday night, in the eight-sided cage at the Mandalay Bay casino in Las Vegas, he won the re-match with a submission- forcing choke hold in the second minute of the second round.
In the intervening 21 years, Couture won five world titles. Now, at 46 but looking at least 10 years younger, he is in line to challenge for a sixth. Who loves ya, Randy.
Source: dailymail.co.uk
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